ANDEAN SUBREGIONAL INTEGRATION AGREEMENT
"CARTAGENA AGREEMENT"

THE GOVERNMENTS of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela,

INSPIRED by the Declaration of Bogotá and by the Declaration of the Presidents of America;

RESOLVED to strengthen the union of their peoples and to lay the foundations for advancing toward the formation of an Andean subregional community;

AWARE that integration constitutes a historical, political, economic, social, and cultural mandate for their countries, in order to preserve their sovereignty and independence;

BASED on the principles of equality, justice, peace, solidarity, and democracy;

DETERMINED to attain such goals by creating an integration and cooperation system that will lead to the balanced, harmonious, and shared economic development of their countries;

AGREE, through their duly authorized plenipotentiary representatives, to enter into the following SUBREGIONAL INTEGRATION AGREEMENT:

Article 1.- The objectives of this Agreement are to promote the balanced and harmonious development of the Member Countries under equitable conditions, through integration and economic and social cooperation; to accelerate their growth and the rate of creation of employment; and to facilitate their participation in the regional integration process, looking ahead toward the gradual formation of a Latin American Common Market.

This Agreement also seeks to reduce external vulnerability and to improve the positioning of the Member Countries within the international economic context; to strengthen subregional solidarity, and to reduce existing differences in levels of development among the Member Countries.

These objectives are aimed at bringing about an enduring improvement in the standard of living of the subregion´s population.

Article 2.- Balanced and harmonious development shall lead to a fair distribution among the Member Countries of the benefits deriving from integration, so that the existing differences among them are reduced. The results of that process shall be evaluated periodically, bearing in mind, among other elements, its effects on the growth of each country’s total exports, the performance of its balance of trade with the subregion, the evolution of its gross domestic product, the creation of new jobs, and capital formation.

Article 3.- The following mechanisms and measures shall be used, among others, to fulfill the objectives of this Agreement:

a) The integration with other economic blocs in the region will be intensified and political, social and economic-trade relations will be established with extra-regional systems.

b) Economic and social policies will be gradually harmonized and national laws with regard to pertinent matters will be aligned;

c) Joint programming will be instituted, subregional industrialization will be intensified, industrial programs will be implemented, and other means of industrial integration will be applied;

d) A more advanced schedule of trade liberalization than the commitments derived from the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo will be instituted;

e) A Common External Tariff will be adopted;

f) Programs will be carried out to accelerate the development of the agricultural and agroindustrial sectors;

g) Resources will be channeled from in and outside the Subregion to finance the investments needed by the integration process;

h) Programs will be conducted in the areas of services and the liberalization of intra-subregional trade in services;

i) Physical integration will be pursued; and

j) Bolivia and Ecuador will receive preferential treatment.

In addition to the mechanisms set out above, the following economic and social cooperation programs and aims shall be carried out in a concerted effort:

a) Programs to promote scientific and technological development;

b) Border integration measures;

c) Programs in the area of tourism;

d) Activities for the use and preservation of natural resources and the environment;

e) Social development programs: and

f) Efforts in the field of social communications.

Article 4.- To carry out this Agreement in the best way possible, Member Countries shall make the necessary efforts to seek adequate solutions to the problems stemming from Bolivia’s landlocked condition.

CHAPTER II
ON THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY AND THE ANDEAN INTEGRATION SYSTEM

Article 5.- The "Andean Community" is hereby created, composed of the sovereign States of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, and of the bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System, and is established by this Agreement.

Article 6.- The Andean Integration System is made up of the following bodies and institutions:

- The Andean Presidential Council;

- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers;

- The Andean Community Commission;

- The Andean Community General Secretariat;

- The Andean Community Court of Justice;

- The Andean Parliament;

- The Business Advisory Council;

- The Labor Advisory Council;

- The Andean Development Corporation;

- The Latin American Reserve Fund;

- The Simón Rodríguez Convention, the Social Conventions that join the Andean Integration System, and those that are created within its framework;

- The Simón Bolívar Andean University;

- The Advisory Councils established by the Commission; and,

- All other bodies and institutions that are created within the framework of Andean subregional integration.

Article 7.- The purpose of the System is to allow for effective coordination among its component bodies and institutions, in order to deepen Andean subregional integration, promote its external influence and consolidate and strengthen actions related to the integration process.

Article 8.- The bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System are governed by this Agreement and by their respective establishing treaties and amending protocols.

Article 9.- In order to achieve the best possible coordination within the Andean Integration System, the Chairman of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers will call and chair the Meetings of Representatives of the institutions that comprise the System.

The main tasks of the Meeting shall be:

a) To exchange information about the actions taken by the respective institutions to carry out the Guidelines issued by the Andean Presidential Council;

b) To study the possibility and desirability of arranging, among all or some of the institutions, to carry out coordinated actions that will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Andean Integration System; and,

c) To present to the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in enlarged session, reports about the actions carried out in fulfillment of the Guidelines that have been received.

Article 10.- The Representatives of the institutions comprising the Andean Integration System shall meet in regular session at least once a year and in special session whenever requested to do so by any of the member institutions, at the site agreed upon before the meeting is called.

The Andean Community General Secretariat shall act as the Secretariat for the Meeting.

Article 11.- The Andean Presidential Council is the highest-level body of the Andean Integration System and is made up of the Heads of State of the Member Countries of the Cartagena Agreement. It issues Guidelines on the different spheres of Andean subregional integration, which are carried out by the System bodies and institutions determined by the Council, in keeping with the responsibilities and mechanisms established in their respective Treaties or establishing Agreements.

The bodies and institutions of the System shall guide their policies in the way directed by the Guidelines issued by the Andean Presidential Council.

Article 12.- It is the Andean Presidential Council’s responsibility:

a) To define Andean subregional integration policy;

b) To guide and promote action on matters of interest to the Subregion as a whole, as well as on those related to the coordination among the bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System;

c) To evaluate the development and results of the Andean subregional integration process;

d) To consider and issue opinions about reports, initiatives, and recommendations that are submitted by the bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System; and

e) To study all issues and matters concerning the course of Andean subregional integration and its external projection.

Article 13.- The Andean Presidential Council shall meet regularly once a year, preferably in the country that chairs it. In this meeting, it shall review the actions taken by the bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System, as well as their projects, programs, and suggestions. The members of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and of the Commission, and representatives of the System bodies and institutions, may attend the meetings of the Andean Presidential Council as observers.

The Andean Presidential Council may meet in special session whenever it considers this advisable, at the place agreed upon before the meeting is called.

Article 14.- The Andean Presidential Council shall have a Chairman who shall be the Andean Community’s top political representative, and who shall hold office for a period of one calendar year. That position shall be filled, successively and in alphabetical order, by each of the Member Countries.

The responsibilities of the Chairman of the Andean Presidential Council shall be:

a) To convene and chair the regular and special meetings of the Council;

b) To represent the Council and the Andean Community;

c) To ensure that the Guidelines issued by the Council are carried out by the other bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System; and,

d) To carry out all tasks requested by the Council.

Article 15.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers is comprised of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member Countries of the Cartagena Agreement.

Article 16.- The responsibilities of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers are:

a) To formulate the Member Countries´ foreign policy on matters of subregional interest, as well as to orient and coordinate the external efforts of the different bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System;

b) To formulate, carry out, and evaluate general Andean subregional integration policy, in coordination with the Commission;

c) To carry out the Guidelines given to it by the Andean Presidential Council and to ensure the execution of those that are intended for the other bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System;

d) To sign Conventions and Agreements with third countries or groups of countries or with international organizations in regard to global foreign policy and cooperation issues;

e) To coordinate, within its sphere of responsibility, the joint position of the Member Countries in international forums and negotiations;

f) To represent the Andean Community, within the sphere of its competence, in matters and acts of common interest, according to the rules and objectives of the Agreement;

g) To recommend or adopt measures within its area of responsibility that will ensure the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Cartagena Agreement;

h) To ensure harmonious compliance with the obligations set out in this Agreement and in the 1980Treaty of Montevideo;

i) To approve and modify its own regulations;

j) To approve the General Secretariat’s Regulations and all amendments thereto at the proposal of the Commission;

k) To hear and resolve, within its area of responsibility, all other matters of common interest.

Article 17.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers shall express itself through Declarations and Decisions adopted by consensus. The latter shall be a part of Andean Community Law.

Article 18.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers shall meet in regular session twice a year, preferably in the country that chairs the Council. It may also meet in special session, when deemed advisable, at the request of any of its members, in the place agreed upon before the meeting is convened.

Article 19.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers shall be headed by the Foreign Minister of the country that chairs the Andean Presidential Council, who shall hold office for a period of one calendar year.

The coordination work corresponding to the Chairman of this Council shall be performed by the Foreign Ministry of the country whose Head of State chairs the Andean Presidential Council, acting as the Pro Tempore Secretariat of both bodies and with the technical support of the Andean Community General Secretariat.

Article 20.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers shall meet in enlarged session with the delegation representatives to the Commission at least once a year and, at the level of alternative representatives, whenever it considers it necessary, in order to discuss matters related to the Cartagena Agreement that are of interest to both bodies, such as:

a) To prepare the meetings of the Andean Presidential Council;

b) To choose and, when suitable, remove the General Secretary of the Andean Community;

c) To propose to the Andean Presidential Council any amendments to this Agreement;

d) To evaluate the performance of the General Secretariat;

e) To consider the initiatives and proposals submitted for its consideration by the Member Countries or the General Secretariat; and,

f) Any other issues that both bodies decide to address jointly by common agreement.

Article 21.- The Andean Community Commission shall be comprised of a plenipotentiary representative from each Member Country’s government, which shall accredit a representative and an alternate representative.

The Commission shall express its will through Decisions.

Article 22.- It is the responsibility of the Andean Community Commission:

a) To formulate, carry out, and evaluate Andean subregional integration policy in the area of trade and investment and, when in order, in coordination with the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers;

b) To take the necessary measures to accomplish the objectives of the Cartagena Agreement and to implement the Guidelines laid down by the Andean Presidential Council;

c) To coordinate, within its sphere of responsibility, the joint position of the Member Countries in international forums and negotiations;

d) To ensure harmonious compliance with the obligations set out in this Agreement and in the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo;

e) To approve and amend its own regulations;

f) To approve, reject or amend the proposals submitted to it by the Member Countries, individually or collectively, or by the General Secretariat;

g) To maintain ongoing relations with the bodies and institutions comprising the Andean Integration System, in order to boost the coordination of programs and measures aimed at accomplishing its common objectives;

h) To represent the Andean Community, within the sphere of its responsibilities, in matters and acts of common interest, in keeping with the rules and objectives of this Agreement;

i) To approve the annual budgets and evaluate the budgetary performance of the General Secretariat and the Andean Community Court of Justice, and to set the contributions to be paid by each of the Member Countries; and,

j) To submit the proposed Regulations of the General Secretariat for consideration by the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers.

In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Commission shall give special consideration to Bolivia and Ecuador’s situation in terms of the objectives of this Agreement, the preferential treatment provided in their favor, and Bolivia’s landlocked status.

Article 23.- The Commission shall have a Chairman, who shall hold office for one calendar year. That office shall be filled by the representative of the country that is currently chairing the Andean Presidential Council.

Article 24.- The Commission shall meet on a regular basis three times a year and in special session whenever such a meeting is called by its Chairman at the request of any of the Member Countries or the General Secretariat.

Its sessions shall be held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat, but they may also take place elsewhere. The Commission shall meet with the presence of an absolute majority of the Member Countries.

Attendance at Commission meetings is obligatory and failure to attend shall be considered an abstention.

Article 25.- At the request of one or more of the Member Countries or of the General Secretariat, the Commission’s Chairman shall summon the Commission to meet as an Enlarged Commission, in order to address sector issues, consider regulations for coordinating the development plans and harmonizing the economic policies of the Member Countries, and hear and resolve all other matters of common interest.

The meetings shall be presided over by the Commission Chairman and shall be jointly comprised of the representatives to the Commission and the Ministers or Secretaries of State of the respective area. Each country is entitled to cast one vote in order to approve Decisions that will become a part of Andean Community Law.

Article 26.- The Commission shall adopt its Decisions by affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the Member Countries. The exceptions to this general rule are:

a) The matters included in Annex 1 to this Agreement, in which case the Commission shall adopt its Decisions by the affirmative vote of the Member Countries with no negative votes being cast.

The Commission may add new matters to that Annex through the affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the Member Countries;

b) For the cases listed in Annex II, General Secretariat proposals shall be approved with the affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the Member Countries, provided that no negative vote is cast. Any proposal that receives the affirmative votes of the absolute majority of the Member Countries, but also a negative vote, shall be returned to the General Secretariat for consideration of the grounds for that negative vote. Within a period of no less than two months or more than six, the General Secretariat shall present the proposal once again for consideration by the Commission, including any modifications it deems appropriate. The amended proposal shall be considered approved if it receives the affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the Member Countries, with no negative vote. In this case, the vote of the country that had dissented previously shall not be counted as a negative vote; and

c) Industrial Development Programs and Projects shall be approved with the affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the Member Countries, provided that no negative vote is cast.

Article 27.- The General Secretariat or the Member Countries shall present their proposals at least fifteen days prior to the corresponding meeting of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers or of the Commission. Only in duly justified exceptional cases and in accordance with Andean Community Law may the required deadlines be waived, provided that both the proponent and the other Member Countries agree to this.

Proposals that receive the affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the Member Countries, but also a negative vote, shall be returned to the proponent for consideration of the grounds that gave rise to that negative vote.

Within a period of no less than one month or more than three, the proponent shall once again present the proposal for consideration by the corresponding body, incorporating any modifications it considers appropriate. In that case, the amended proposal shall be considered approved if receives the affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the Member Countries.

Article 28.- Any Member Country that falls behind more than four quarters in the payment of its contributions to the General Secretariat or to the Andean Community Court of Justice may not exercise its right to vote in the Commission until it resolves that situation.

In such cases, the quorum for attendance and voting shall be computed according to the number of contributing countries.

Article 29.- The General Secretariat is the executive body of the Andean Community and, as such, acts solely in accordance with the interests of the Subregion. The General Secretariat shall give technical support, when appropriate, to the other bodies and institutions of the Andean Integration System.

The General Secretariat shall be headed by the General Secretary. In performing his duties, the General Secretary shall rely on the Directors General, in accordance with the respective regulations. The General Secretary shall also enjoy the services of any technical and administrative staff needed to accomplish his duties. The General Secretariat shall express itself through Resolutions.

Article 30.- The Andean Community General Secretariat’s responsibilities are:

a) To ensure the application of this Agreement and compliance with the provisions that comprise Andean Community Law;

b) To carry out the tasks assigned to it by the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Commission;

c) To formulate and put forward draft Decisions to the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Commission, in accordance with their respective spheres of responsibility, and initiatives and suggestions to the enlarged meeting of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers, aimed at facilitating or hastening the fulfillment of this Agreement, so that its objectives may be achieved within the shortest possible time frame;

d) To conduct studies and propose the necessary measures for applying the special treatments in benefit of Bolivia and Ecuador and, in general, those regarding the participation of the two countries in this Agreement;

e) To study and report annually to the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Commission, on the results of the application of this Agreement and the achievement of its objectives, paying special attention to the fulfillment of the principle of fair distribution of the benefits of integration, and to propose pertinent corrective measures;

f) To perform the technical studies and coordination entrusted to it by other bodies of the Andean Integration System, together with any others it considers necessary;

g) To maintain permanent working relations with the Member Countries, in coordination with the national integration body appointed by each country for that purpose;

h) To draw up its annual working program, in which it shall give preference to the tasks assigned to it by other System bodies;

i) To promote periodic meetings of the national organizations responsible for economic policy formulation or execution and, particularly, those charged with economic planning;

j) To maintain working relations with the executive bodies of other regional integration and cooperation organizations, in order to strengthen their relationship and reciprocal cooperation;

k) To keep the records of the enlarged meetings of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and of the Commission, and to draw up a tentative agenda of their meetings, in coordination with the chairmen of those bodies;

l) To be the depository for the records of the meetings and other documents of Andean Integration System bodies and to certify their authenticity;

m) To publish the Official Gazette of the Cartagena Agreement;

n) To act as Secretariat for the Meeting of Representatives of the institutions that comprise the Andean Integration System; and,

ñ) To carry out all other responsibilities expressly assigned to it by Andean Community Law.

Article 31.- The General Secretariat shall operate on a permanent basis and its headquarters shall be located in the city of Lima, Peru.

Article 32.- The General Secretariat shall be headed by a Secretary General who shall be chosen by consensus of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers for a five-year term of office and may be reelected a single time.

The Secretary General shall be a person with broad representation and acknowledged prestige, and must be a national of one of the Member Countries. He shall act only in the interests of the Subregion as a whole.

The Secretary General may not carry out any other activity during his term of office; nor shall he seek or accept instructions from any government, national institution or international organization.

If the office falls vacant, the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers, meeting in enlarged session, shall immediately proceed to appoint a new Secretary General by consensus. Until that time, the Director-General with the most seniority shall temporarily head the General Secretariat.

Article 33.- The Secretary General may be removed from office by consensus, at the request of a Member Country, only if, in the exercise of his duties, he commits the gross negligence foreseen in the General Secretariat Regulations.

Article 34.- The responsibilities of the Andean Community Secretary General are:

a) To act as the General Secretariat’s legal representative;

b) To propose initiatives in regard to the General Secretariat Regulations to the Commission or to the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers;

c) To hire and dismiss technical and administrative staff, in accordance with the General Secretariat Regulations;

d) To participate with the right to be heard in the sessions of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Commission and in their respective enlarged meetings, and, when invited to do so, in the meetings of other System bodies;

e) To present the draft annual budget to the Commission for its approval; and,

f) To present an annual report of the General Secretariat’s activities to the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in enlarged session.

Article 35.- The Secretary General, in consultation with the Member Countries and in keeping with the General Secretariat’s functional and organic structure, shall appoint the Directors-General. These persons shall be top-level professionals, appointed strictly in accordance with their academic background, suitability, reputation, and experience, and they shall each be responsible for a specific technical area.

The Directors-General shall be nationals of Member Countries and the Secretary General shall seek to ensure balanced subregional geographic distribution in their appointment. The appointment and dismissal of the Directors-General shall be governed by the General Secretariat Regulations.

Article 36.- In proceedings where the interests of two or more Member Countries are in dispute, the Secretary General shall enjoy the technical assistance of special experts, whose appointment and method of participation shall be determined according to the General Secretariat Regulations.

Article 37.- The Secretary General, when hiring technical and administrative staff, who may be of any nationality, shall bear in mind strictly the ability, competence, and reputation of the candidates and shall seek to ensure balanced subregional geographic distribution, provided that this is compatible with the preceding criteria.

Personnel shall be appointed and dismissed according to the criteria and grounds established in the General Secretariat Regulations, without prejudice to what the establishing Treaty of the Court of Justice and its amending protocols provide for.

Article 38.- The staff of the General Secretariat shall refrain from taking any action that may be incompatible with the nature of their duties and shall neither seek nor accept instructions from any Government, national institution or international organization.

Article 39.- In the case of proceedings that should conclude with the adoption of a Resolution or Opinion, public or private individuals or legal entities from the Member Countries shall cooperate in such investigations as the General Secretariat may make in carrying out its duties and, in this sense, shall supply any information they are requested for this purpose.

The General Secretariat shall keep any documents and information furnished strictly confidential, in accordance with the rules governing those matters.

Article 40.- The Court of Justice is the judicial authority of the Andean Community.

Article 41.- The Andean Community Court of Justice is governed by its establishing Treaty and its amending protocols and this Agreement.

The Court has its headquarters in the city of Quito, Ecuador.

Article 42.- The Andean Parliament is the System’s deliberating body. It has a community nature, represents the peoples of the Andean Community and shall be made up of representatives chosen by universal and direct suffrage, according to the procedure that is adopted through an Additional Protocol that shall include adequate criteria for national representation.

Until the Additional Protocol instituting direct elections is signed, the Andean Parliament shall be comprised of representatives of the National Congresses, in accordance with their internal regulations and the General Regulations of the Andean Parliament.

The headquarters of the Andean Parliament shall be in the city of Bogotá, Colombia.

Article 43.- The Andean Parliament’s responsibilities are:

a) To participate in the promotion and guidance of the Andean Subregional integration process, with a view to consolidating Latin American integration;

b) To examine the progress of the Andean subregional integration process and the fulfillment of its objectives, requesting periodic information from the System bodies and institutions for that purpose;

c) To formulate recommendations regarding the annual draft budgets of the System bodies and institutions that are financed through the direct contributions of the Member Countries;

d) To suggest to the System bodies and institutions actions or decisions, whose goal or effect is the adoption of modifications, adjustments, or new general guidelines in relation to the programmed objectives and institutional structure of the System;

e) To participate in the law-making process by suggesting to the System bodies draft provisions on subjects of common interest, for incorporation in Andean Community Law;

f) To promote the harmonization of Member Country legislation; and,

g) To promote cooperative and coordinated relations with Member Country Parliaments, System bodies and institutions, and third country parliamentary integration or cooperation bodies.

Article 44.- The Business Advisory Council and the Labor Advisory Council are the consultative institutions of the Andean Integration System. They are comprised of high-level delegates, who shall be directly elected by the representative organizations in the business and labor sectors of each of the Member Countries, according to their respective regulations, and officially accredited by them.

The responsibilities of the Advisory Councils shall be to express their opinions to the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers, the Commission or the General Secretariat, at the request of these bodies or on their own initiative, with regard to programs or activities of the Andean subregional integration process that are of interest to their respective sectors. They can also be summoned to meetings of working groups and of government experts involved in preparing draft Decisions, and may participate in meetings of the Commission with the right to take part in the discussions.

Article 45.- The Andean Development Corporation and the Latin American Reserve Fund are the System’s financial institutions and their purpose is to promote the Andean subregional integration process.

Article 46.- The General Secretariat and the executive bodies of the Andean Development Corporation and the Latin American Reserve Fund shall maintain working relations for the purpose of coordinating activities adequately and, thereby, facilitating the achievement of the objectives of this Agreement.

Article 47.- The settlement of any disputes that may arise as a result of the application of Andean Community Law shall abide by the provisions of the Treaty establishing the Court of Justice.

Article 48.- The Andean Community is a subregional organization with an international legal capacity or status.

Article 49.- The General Secretariat, the Court of Justice, the Andean Parliament, the Andean Development Corporation, the Latin American Reserve Fund, and the Social Conventions that are part of the System shall enjoy, within the territory of each of the Member Countries, the privileges and immunities required for the fulfillment of their objectives. Their representatives and international staff shall, likewise, be given the privileges and immunities required to carry out their duties in relation to this agreement with independence. Their premises are inviolable and their goods and property are immune to all judicial proceedings, unless expressly waived. Nevertheless, such a waiver shall not apply to any judicial measures of execution.

Article 50.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers shall formulate the Common Foreign Policy on matters that are of interest to the subregion. To that end, it shall coordinate joint political positions that will enable the Community to participate effectively in international political forums and organizations.

Article 51.- The Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Andean Community Commission shall define and undertake to implement a community strategy aimed at deepening integration with other economic blocs in the region and establishing political, social and economic-trade relations with other groups outside the region.

Article 52.- In order to accomplish the objective stated in this Chapter, the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Andean Community Commission shall take the following measures, among others:

a) Strengthen community participation in international, multilateral, hemispheric and regional economic and trade forums;

b) Coordinate joint negotiations of the Andean Community with other integration processes or with third countries or groups of countries; and

c) Entrust the General Secretariat to perform research, studies and activities that will make it possible to achieve the objective and carry out the measures provided for in this Chapter.

Article 53.- The Member Countries shall progressively adopt a strategy to achieve the subregional development objectives envisaged in this Agreement.

Article 54.- The Member Countries shall coordinate their development plans in specific sectors and shall gradually harmonize their economic and social policies, with a view to achieving the integrated development of the area through planned actions.

This process shall be carried out simultaneously and in coordination with the creation of the subregional market, by means of the following mechanisms, among others:

a) Industrial Development Programs;

b) Agricultural and Agroindustrial Development Programs;

c) Physical Infrastructure Development Programs;

d) Intra-subregional Programs for the Liberalization of Services;

e) Harmonization of foreign exchange, monetary, financial, and fiscal policies, including the treatment of subregional or foreign capital;

f) A common trade policy in relation to third countries; and

g) Harmonization of planning methods and techniques.

Article 55.- The Andean Community shall have a common system for the treatment of foreign capital and on trademarks, patents, licenses, and royalties, among other things.

Article 56.- The Andean Community shall have a uniform regime that Andean multinational enterprises must abide by.

Article 57.- The Commission, at the General Secretariat’s proposal, shall establish the necessary permanent procedures and mechanisms for achieving the coordination and harmonization referred to in Article 54.

Article 58.- The Commission, at the General Secretariat’s proposal and taking into account the progress and needs of the subregional integration process, as well as the balanced compliance with the mechanisms of the Agreement, shall approve provisions and define timeframes for the progressive harmonization of economic legislation and the instruments and mechanisms for regulating and promoting the Member Countries´ foreign trade that affect the mechanisms provided for in this Agreement for the creation of the subregional market.

Article 59.- The Member Countries shall provide in their national development plans and in the formulation of their economic policies for the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the preceding Articles.

Article 60.- The Member Countries bind themselves to promote a joint industrial development process in order to attain the following objectives, among others:

a) Expansion, specialization, diversification, and promotion of industrial activity;

b) Profitable use of economies of scale;

c) Optimum utilization of the resources available in the area, particularly by industrializing the natural resources;

d) Improvement in productivity;

e) Closer relations, interlinkage and complementarity among the sub region’s industrial enterprises;

f) Equitable distribution of benefits; and

g) Better international participation by subregional industry.

Article 61.- For purposes of the previous Article, the following shall constitute modes of industrial integration:

a) Industrial Integration Programs;

b) Industrial Complementarity Agreements; and

c) Industrial Integration Projects.

Article 62.- The Commission, at the General Secretariat’s proposal, shall adopt Industrial Integration Programs, preferably to promote new industrial production lines that are sectoral or intersectoral in scope, and in which at least four Member Countries shall participate.

The programs shall include clauses dealing with:

a) Specific targets;

b) The determination of what products the Program will target;

c) The siting of production facilities in the countries of the subregion whenever the characteristics of the sector or sectors involved so require it, in which case, they shall include provisions on the commitment not to encourage such production in countries that are not favored by the allocation;

d) A Trade Liberalization Program that may provide for different rates of implementation by country and by product;

e) A Common External Tariff;

f) Coordination of new subregion-wide investments and measures to ensure their financing;

g) Harmonization of policies on aspects that affect the Program directly;

h) Complementary measures that may foster greater industrial linkages and facilitate the fulfillment of Program goals; and

i) The timeframes during which the rights and obligations arising from the Program shall be maintained in the event the Agreement is denounced.

Article 63.- A country that is not participating in an Industrial Integration Program may request its incorporation at any time, in which case the Commission shall approve the conditions for that incorporation, through the voting system provided for in Article 26 b). Any negotiations that may have been carried out between the participating countries and the non-participant should be considered in the respective proposals.

Article 64.- The aim of Industrial Complementarity Agreements shall be to promote industrial specialization among the Member Countries. Such Agreements may be entered into and carried out by two or more Countries and must be approved by the Commission.

For the purposes of the preceding paragraph, the Agreements may include measures such as the distribution of production, joint production, subcontracting of productive capacities, marketing agreements, and joint foreign trade operations, as well as any other measures that may facilitate closer coordination of the production processes and entrepreneurial activity.

Industrial Complementarity Agreements shall be temporary in nature, and in addition to the determination of target products and of the expiration date of the rights and obligations of the participating Member Countries, may include special measures concerning tariff treatment, trade regulation, and the establishment of preferential margins that are not applicable to non-participant countries, provided that such measures represent equal or better conditions than those existing for reciprocal trade. In that case, the duties applicable to third countries shall be determined.

Article 65.- Countries that are not participating in the Complementarity Agreements may request their incorporation at any time, in which case the participating countries shall approve the conditions for that incorporation, which shall be made known to the Commission.

Article 65.- The Commission shall approve Industrial Integration Projects at the proposal of the General Secretariat. These projects shall be carried out for specific products or product families --preferably new ones--, through policies of collective cooperation and all of the Member Countries shall be involved.

The following measures, among others, shall be taken for the execution of these Projects:

a) Feasibility and design studies will be prepared;

b) Equipment, technical assistance, technology, and other goods and services, preferably of subregional origin, will be supplied;

c) The support of the Andean Development Corporation will be obtained, in the form of either financing or equity investment; and

d) Joint arrangements and negotiations will be carried out with international entrepreneurs and government agencies to obtain foreign funding or the transfer of technology.

Industrial Integration Projects shall include clauses that deal with the siting of production facilities in the Member Countries whenever the characteristics of the corresponding sector or sectors require it and may include clauses to facilitate the access of products to the subregional market.

In the case of specific projects that are sited in Bolivia or Ecuador, the Commission shall establish temporary and exclusive tariff treatment to improve the terms of access by those products to the subregional market. If products that are not produced in the Subregion are included in this category, the terms of access shall provide for exceptions to the principle of irrevocability stipulated in the first paragraph of Article 76.

Article 67.- In applying the modes of industrial integration, the Commission and the General Secretariat shall bear in mind the situation and requirements of small and medium-sized industry, particularly those concerning the following aspects:

a) The installed capacity of existing enterprises;

b) Financial and technical needs for the installation, expansion, modernization, or conversion of production facilities;

c) The prospects for setting up joint marketing and technological research systems and other forms of cooperation among similar enterprises; and

d) Labor training requirements.

Article 68.- Industrial integration methods may provide for industrial streamlining efforts aimed at making the most of the factors of production and reaching higher levels of productivity and efficiency.

Article 69.- The General Secretariat may carry out or promote cooperation efforts, including those aimed at industrial streamlining and modernization in benefit of any activity in the sector, particularly of small and medium-sized subregional industry, for the purpose of contributing to the industrial development of the Member Countries. Priority shall be given to carrying out these actions in Bolivia and Ecuador.

Article 70.- The General Secretariat, whenever it deems it advisable and, in any case, in the course of its periodic evaluations, shall propose to the Commission the measures it considers essential to ensure the equitable participation of the Member Countries in the modes of industrial integration that are covered in this Chapter, their execution, and the attainment of their aims.

Article 71.- It shall be the responsibility of the Commission and of the General Secretariat to coordinate appropriately with the Andean Development Corporation, and to arrange for the assistance of any other national or international institutions whose technical and financial contribution it considers desirable for:

a) Facilitating policy coordination and joint investment programming;

b) Channeling a growing volume of funds to resolve problems created for Member Countries by the industrial integration process;

c) Promoting the financing of investment projects that arise from the execution of the different modes of industrial integration; and

d) Expanding, modernizing, or converting industrial production facilities that may be adversely affected by trade liberalization.

Article 72.- The purpose of the Liberalization Program for goods is to eliminate duties and restrictions of all kinds levied on the importation of products originating in the territory of any Member Country.

Article 73.- "Duties" are understood to be the customs duties and any other charges with equivalent effects, whether of a fiscal, monetary or foreign exchange nature, that may affect imports. Not included in this concept are analogous assessments and surcharges that correspond to the approximate cost of the services rendered.

"Restrictions of all kinds" are understood to mean any administrative, financial, or foreign exchange measure whereby a Member Country, through a unilateral decision, obstructs or hinders imports. Not included in this concept are the adoption and enforcement of measures to:

a) Protect public morals;

b) Implement laws and regulations on security;

c) Regulate the import or export of weapons, ammunition, and other war materials, and, under special circumstances, all other military articles, provided that this does not interfere with the provisions of treaties in force between Member Countries relating to the freedom of unrestricted transit;

d) Protect the life and health of human beings, animals, and plants;

e) Import and export metallic gold and silver;

f) Protect national treasures with an artistic, historical, or archaeological value; and

g) Export, use and consume nuclear materials, radioactive products, or any other material that may be employed for the development and utilization of nuclear energy.

Article 74.- For the purposes of the previous articles, the General Secretariat, on its own initiative or at the request of a party, shall determine, when necessary, whether a measure adopted unilaterally by a Member Country constitutes a "duty" or "restriction."

Article 75.- Products originating in a Member Country shall enjoy, in the territory of another Member Country, treatment that is no less favorable than that accorded to similar domestic products, insofar as taxes, assessments and other domestic duties are concerned.

Article 76.- The Liberalization Program shall be automatic and irrevocable and shall cover the entire product universe, save for the provisions regarding exceptions that are established in this Agreement, so that a total liberalization is achieved within the timeframes and by the methods referred to in this Agreement.

This Program shall apply, in its various forms, to:

a) Products that are targeted by Industrial Integration Programs;

b) Products that are included in the Common List referred to in Article 4 of the 1960 Montevideo Treaty;

c) Products on the corresponding list that are not produced in any of the subregion’s countries; and

d) Products that are not covered in the above-cited sections.

Article 77.- Member Countries shall refrain from levying customs duties and introducing restrictions of any kind on the importation of goods that originated in the subregion.

Article 78.- Member Countries shall seek to jointly reach partial-scope trade agreements, economic complementarity agreements, agricultural agreements, and trade promotion agreements, with the other Latin American countries in sectors where this is feasible, according to the provisions of Article 86 of this Agreement and of the 1980 Montevideo Treaty.

Article 79.- The Andean Community Commission, at the proposal of the General Secretariat, shall approve a general framework of principles and provisions for liberalizing the intra-subregional trade in services.

Article 80.- The general framework provided for in the previous article shall be applied to the trade in services provided in the following ways:

a) From the territory of one Member Country to the territory of another Member Country;

b) Within the territory of a Member Country to a consumer from another Member Country;

c) Through the commercial presence of service enterprises of one Member Country in the territory of another Member Country; and,

d) By individuals from one Member Country in the territory of another Member Country.

Article 81.- The Member Countries commit themselves to put a Common External Tariff into effect within the timeframes and according to the modes the Commission may establish.

Article 82.- The Commission, at the General Secretariat’s proposal, shall approve the Common External Tariff, which must provide for adequate levels of protection for subregional products, considering the Agreement objective of gradually harmonizing the different economic policies of the Member Countries.

On the date indicated by the Commission, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela shall begin the process of aligning the customs duties that are applicable under their national tariff schedules to the importation of products that did not originate in the subregion, with the Common External Tariff in an annual, automatic, and linear way.

Article 83.- The stipulations of Article 82 notwithstanding, the following provisions shall be applied:

a) With respect to products that are targeted by Industrial Integration Programs, the rules established by those Programs regarding the Common External Tariff shall govern; and with respect to products that are targeted by Industrial Integration Projects, the Commission, whenever appropriate, may specify, when approving the respective Decision, the levels of customs duties that shall apply to third countries and the corresponding terms; and

b) Whenever, in fulfilling the Liberalization Program, a product is freed from customs duties and other restrictions, it shall be subject to the full and simultaneous application of the customs duties established in the Minimum Common External Tariff or in the Common External Tariff, as the case may be.

In the case of goods that are not produced in the subregion, each country may defer the application of the common customs duties until the General Secretariat verifies that their production has begun in the subregion. Even so, if in the General Secretariat’s judgment the new production is insufficient to meet the normal needs of the subregion, it shall propose to the Commission that it adopt the necessary measures to reconcile the need to protect subregional production with that of ensuring a normal supply.

Article 84.- The Commission, at the proposal of the General Secretariat, may modify the common tariff levels to the extent and at the time it deems advisable, in order to:

a) Adjust them to the subregion´s needs; and

b) Provide for the special situations of Bolivia and Ecuador.

Article 85.- The General Secretariat may propose to the Commission the measures it considers essential to ensure normal supply conditions in the subregion.

Any Member Country undergoing temporary supply shortages may report the problem to the General Secretariat, which shall verify the situation within a period commensurate with the urgency of the case. Once the General Secretariat verifies the existence of the problem in question and so informs the country adversely affected, the latter may take steps, such as to temporarily reduce or suspend the External Tariff duties within the necessary limits to correct the disturbance.

In the cases referred to in the previous section, the General Secretariat shall call a special meeting of the Commission, if such is in order, or shall inform it at its following regular meeting regarding the action that has been taken.

Article 86.- The Member Countries commit themselves not to unilaterally alter the customs duties set in the Common External Tariff. They also agree to hold the necessary consultations within the Commission before assuming tariff obligations with countries outside the subregion. The Commission, at the General Secretariat’s proposal and through a Decision, shall state its opinion regarding those consultations and shall establish the terms with which tariff commitments must comply.

Article 87.- In order to boost common agricultural and agroindustrial development and attain greater subregional food security, the Member Countries shall carry out an Agricultural and Agroindustrial Development Program, harmonize their policies, and coordinate their national plans in this sector, bearing in mind the following objectives, among others:

a) To improve the standard of living of the rural population;

b) To take care to meet the food and nutritional requirements of the population satisfactorily, in order to reduce to the utmost dependence on supplies from outside the subregion;

c) To ensure the timely and adequate supply of the subregional market and protect against the risk of food shortages;

d) To increase the production of staple foods and raise productivity levels;

e) To ensure the complementarity and specialization of the subregion’s production, with a view to improving the use of its inputs and increasing the trade in agricultural and agroindustrial products; and

f) To replace the subregion’s imports and diversify and increase its exports.

Article 88.- The Commission, at the proposal of the General Secretariat, shall take the following steps, among others, to fulfill the objectives stated in the previous article:

a) Create an Andean and National Food Security Systems;

b) Carry out joint agricultural and agroindustrial development programs, by products or product groups;

c) Implement joint agricultural and agroindustrial technological development programs that include technological research, training, and transfer activities;

d) Promote intra-subregional agricultural and agroindustrial trade and sign agreements to supply agricultural products;

e) Conduct joint programs and activities with regard to agricultural and agroindustrial trade with third countries;

f) Establish and execute common provisions and programs on plant and animal health;

g) Create subregional funding mechanisms for the agricultural and agroindustrial sector;

h) Execute joint programs for the profitable use and conservation of the sector’s natural resources; and

i) Implement joint cooperative technological research and transfer programs in areas of common interest to the Member Countries, such as genetics, floriculture, fishing, forestry, and any others the Commission may decide upon in the future.

Article 89.- The Commission and the General Secretariat shall take the necessary measures to step up the agricultural and agroindustrial development of Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as their participation in the enlarged market.

Article 90.- Any Member Country may apply non-discriminatory measures to trade in the products added to the list referred to in Article 92, for the purpose of:

a) Restricting imports to the absolute minimum needed to cover shortages in domestic production; and

b) Bringing the prices of imported products into line with those of the domestic products.

In order to implement such measures, the Member Countries shall, when appropriate, take steps to supply agricultural and agroindustrial food products through existing national agencies.

Article 91.- The country that imposes the measures referred to in the previous article shall immediately notify the General Secretariat, enclosing a report substantiating its action.

These measures shall be applied to Bolivia and Ecuador only in duly qualified cases and after the General Secretariat has confirmed that the damage is due essentially to their imports. The General Secretariat is obliged to express its views within fifteen days after receiving the report and may authorize the measures to be applied.

Any Member Country that considers itself affected by those measures may present its objections to the General Secretariat.

The General Secretariat shall study the case and propose to the Commission the positive measures it deems advisable in the light of the objectives indicated in Article 87.

The Commission shall decide with respect to the restrictions that were applied and the measures that are proposed by the General Secretariat.

Article 92.- The Commission, at the proposal of the General Secretariat, shall decide upon the list of agricultural products to which Articles 90 and 91 may be applied, before December 31, 1970. The Commission may modify that list at the proposal of the General Secretariat.

Article 93.- the Commission, before December 31, 1971 and at the General Secretariat’s proposal, shall adopt the essential provisions to guard against or correct practices that may distort competition within the subregion, such as dumping, improper price manipulations, maneuvers to upset the normal supply of raw materials, and others with a like effect. In this respect, the Commission shall consider the problems that could be created by imposing duties and other restrictions on exports.

It shall be the General Secretariat’s responsibility to ensure the application of those provisions to the particular cases that are reported.

Article 94.- The Member Countries may not take corrective measures without prior authorization from the General Secretariat. The Commission shall regulate the procedures for implementing the provisions contained in this Chapter.

Article 95.- Any Member Country that has taken measures to correct an external imbalance may extend those measures, when authorized to do so by the General Secretariat, temporarily and in a non-discriminatory way, to intra-subregional trade in the products included in the Liberalization Program.

The Member Countries shall seek to ensure that the imposition of restrictions due to an adverse balance of payments situation does not affect trade within the subregion in the products incorporated in the Liberalization Program.

If the situation envisaged in this Article requires an immediate response, the Member Country involved may apply the foreseen measures on an emergency basis. It shall report that action immediately to the General Secretariat, which shall hand down its decision within the following thirty days, either authorizing, modifying, or suspending those measures.

If the application of the measures provided for in this Article continues for a period of over one year, the General Secretariat, on its own initiative or at the request of any of the Member Countries, shall propose to the Commission that negotiations be immediately initiated to seek the removal of those restrictions.

Article 96.- If the implementation of the Agreement’s Liberalization Program causes or threatens to cause serious economic damage to a Member Country or to one of its key economic sectors, that country may, with the prior authorization of the General Secretariat, take temporary and non-discriminatory corrective steps. If necessary, the General Secretariat may propose to the Commission that measures of collective cooperation be taken to surmount the problems that have arisen.

The General Secretariat shall periodically study the evolution of the situation to keep the restrictive measures from being imposed any longer than is strictly necessary or to study new formulas for cooperation, if appropriate.

If the damages dealt with in this Article are so serious that they require immediate steps to be taken, the injured Member Country may apply corrective measures temporarily, on an emergency basis, subject to the subsequent decision of the General Secretariat.

Those measures should damage the Liberalization Program as little as possible and, so long as they are implemented unilaterally, may not involve reducing imports of the product or products in question to below the average for the preceding twelve months.

Any Member Country that takes those measures shall immediately report them to the General Secretariat and the latter shall issue its decision within the following thirty days, either authorizing, modifying, or suspending them.

Article 97.- If products that originated in the Subregion are imported in such quantities or conditions as to disrupt a Member Country’s production of specific products, that Country may take non-discriminatory and temporary corrective measures, subject to the subsequent decision of the General Secretariat.

A Member Country that takes corrective measures must notify the General Secretariat within no more than sixty days and present a report substantiating their application. The General Secretariat, within sixty days after receiving that report, shall verify the existence of the disruption and the origin of the imports that caused it and shall issue its decision, either suspending, modifying, or authorizing those measures, which may be applied only to the products of the Member Country where the disturbance originated. The corrective measures that are taken shall guarantee the access of a volume of trade amounting to no less than the average for the previous three years.

Article 98.- If a currency devaluation made by one of the Member Countries alters the normal conditions of competition, the country that considers itself to be adversely affected may bring the case before the General Secretariat, which should hand down its decision briefly and summarily. Once the General Secretariat has verified the existence of the disturbance, the country that is adversely affected may take temporary corrective measures so long as the condition exists, while abiding by the General Secretariat’s recommendations. In any case, those measures may not involve reducing imports to levels below those that existed prior to the devaluation.

The application of the temporary measures referred to notwithstanding, any Member Country may request the Commission to hand down a final decision on the matter.

The Member Country that devalued its currency may ask the General Secretariat to review the situation at any time, with a view to easing or eliminating the cited corrective measures. The Commission may amend the General Secretariat’s decision.

In the situation referred to in this Article, the country which considers itself to be adversely affected may, in presenting the case to the General Secretariat, propose protective measures that are commensurate with the magnitude of the alleged disturbance, accompanied by the technical substantiation of its proposal. The General Secretariat may request any supplementary information it deems advisabl